Mr Spencer(120)

A warm familiar face greets me. “Hi.”

My father smiles softly and leans in to kiss my cheek. He’s wearing his customary suit and tie. “Hello, dear.”

I hold my arm out. “Please, come in.”

He turns to his guards and nods. He eventually walks in and closes the door behind him, taking a good look around the expansive apartment.

I hold my hands out proudly. “This is Spencer’s place.”

“Very nice.” He nods, impressed. “Although, I’m here to see you, not Spencer’s apartment.”

I exhale, knowing I’m about to be lectured. “Would you like some tea?”

“That would be lovely.”

We walk out into the kitchen and he takes a seat at the kitchen counter.

“What’s going on, love?” he asks softly. “I hardly slept last night.”

My eyes fill with tears. “Me, either.” I take his hand in mine. “I love him, Dad.”

He smiles softly. “I know you think you do...”

“No.” I shake my head. “Dad, I do.”

His eyes hold mine. “Tell me everything.”

I feel my nerves rise, because I know how important it is that I get this right.

“We met a while ago and…” How much do I actually tell him? All of it. “We went on a few dates.”

“How did I not know you were dating anyone?”

“Dad, you don’t know anything about me. I’m alone most of the time. You and Edward are so busy with work that you would have no idea what’s going on with me and my life. Not really.”

His face falls with disappointment.

“Spencer’s not what he seems, Dad.”

“Surely you can understand my fears.”

“I know, and I hate his reputation, too, but he’s not like that.” I shrug. “He used to be, but he’s changed, and a lot of the stories about him are untrue. That story said he was in Ibiza last week when he was here with me the whole time. He doesn’t even know the models named in those stories.”

He raises his brow sceptically.

“I know some of it’s true, and I have no doubt he was a player,” I add. “I’m not stupid.”

His eyes hold mine. “You are a target for someone like him. You’re young and innocent. He’s a lot older than you, Charlotte.”

“I know, but thirteen years isn’t that bad. I just don’t seem to like men my own age.”

“You haven’t dated any. How would you know?”

I shrug. “I just know.”

“I feel like he’s taking advantage of your inexperience.”

“Dad, he rejected me at first because of my inexperience.”

He frowns. “What do you mean?”

Oh Hell, why did I say that? I hesitate.

“Go on,” he urges.

“After a few dates, when we got closer, I told Spencer that I was… inexperienced… and he immediately broke it off with me. He said he didn’t deserve me.”

His eyes hold mine as he listens intently.

“Weeks later, I lied and told him that I wasn’t a virgin anymore in the hope that he would relax and take me out. I know he didn’t want me if he had to take that innocence away from me.”

“Charlotte,” he whispers in horror. “What on earth were you thinking?”

“Dad, don’t you see? I pursued him just as much as he pursued me. It’s special between us.”

He exhales heavily and puts his head into his hands. “I’m just…” He pauses. “I’m just asking you to slow down. I’ve already lost one son to a bad relationship. I couldn’t bear to lose you, too.”

“Dad, Penelope is different.”

“Is she, Charlotte?” He shakes his head. “When William met Penelope, we were warned by numerous people what she was like.”

I listen as I watch him.

“Both mine and Edward’s instincts told us that she was all wrong for him, but we trusted his judgement. Edward’s closest friend Alexander York came to us in the very early stages of their relationship and told us that he had seen Penelope with another man at a club.”

I frown. “When was this?”

“Before William even moved in with her.”

“I didn’t know this.”

“Edward blames himself for his brother’s heartbreak. He hates the fact that she holds Harrison hostage to William.”

Sadness fills me.

“Your brother cannot leave that relationship without leaving his son.”

I drop my head.

“He’s effectively trapped if he wants his son to grow up in the same house as him.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“Alexander York came to us again last week… to warn us about Spencer.”

I frown as my eyes rise to his.

“Charlotte, just as you feel now is exactly how William felt in the early stages of his relationship. He fell madly in love, rushed in and got burned badly. I just don’t want the same fate for you. And to make it worse, the press are involved in this now. Spencer Jones gets attention wherever he goes.”

“He didn’t ask for it, Dad.”